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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24286759">Of A Feather</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MirandaSwitch15/pseuds/MirandaSwitch15'>MirandaSwitch15</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Academic competition, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Developing Friendships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship/Love, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Sorry, James Potter &amp; Lily Evans Potter Live, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Quidditch, Smart Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:29:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,599</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24286759</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MirandaSwitch15/pseuds/MirandaSwitch15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter's one of the best students of Hogwarts. Until Hermione Granger arrives, and gives him a taste of what competition feels like.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Lavender Brown/Ron Weasley, Neville/OC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>130</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: Hello, hello, everyone. Welcome to my second ever multichapter story. I promise this is going to be the first long A/N because I've got to explain a few things. I have quite a few chapters of this story written, and updates will be weekly (every Wednesday). This is a No-Voldemort! Jily Lives! AU. Hermione joins Hogwarts in sixth year, and since there's no death threat hanging over his head and his parents are alive, Harry's a tad more concerned about his academics. Oh, and did I mention, he's got a sister here. She's called Iris (because I wanted to maintain the flower tradition lol), and she's in Ginny's year.</p><p>Thank you for choosing to read this, and I hope you'll enjoy it. Do let me know what you feel about this!</p><p>Ok, I've babbled enough. Happy reading :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Hermione Granger was impressed.</p><p>And she wasn't impressed by your usual sight, mind you: she was a tough one to please. But when she stepped right through the seemingly solid brick wall at King's Cross and found herself in the midst of the several people milling on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, she was spellbound. There, in front of her, stood the dark red locomotive, white smoke issuing out of it, and the words <em>Hogwarts Express</em> engraved in golden on a black plate across the front of the engine.</p><p>Her parents seemed to have had the exact same reaction. Her mother's grip on her shoulder increased just a little bit, and her father, who was chattering away only a minute ago, had gone dumb. Hermione turned her head around to look at their faces.</p><p>"Oh, Hermione, darling, this looks wonderful!" Her mother, Dianne, said in a low voice, her brown eyes - identical to her daughter's - twinkling curiously.</p><p>"Wicked!" exclaimed Michael Granger, grinning widely as he took in his surroundings. Being a Muggle dentist, Michael was never not amazed by his daughter's world, even though he'd been introduced to it five years ago.</p><p>Hermione felt herself smile as well as she surveyed the scene, the different people - some in dark cloaks that billowed in the air behind them, some in weird-looking hats, some in their school robes. A large brown swooped past her, and Crookshanks, her cat, stood up on its hind paws and yowled at the bird.</p><p>"Come on," Hermione said, both to her parents and the cat, pushing her heavy trolley forward towards an empty spot near the train. Dianne looked nervously around herself, feeling quite out of place amidst everyone else, while Michael waved brightly at any wizard or witch who'd look at him, and they'd wave back.</p><p>"Friendly, these folks are," he remarked, as though he were seeing their kind for the first time. Hermione laughed at the expression on her father's face, before heaving her trunk off the trolley. Michael rushed forward to give his daughter a helping hand, and together the two hauled the trunk onto the train.</p><p>"Ten minutes to eleven," said Dianne, looking at her wristwatch. "Best get on the train now."</p><p>"Yeah," Hermione said, smiling wistfully. "I'll see you at Christmas, then."</p>
<hr/><p>For the fifth time in the last ten minutes, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley slid open the door to one of the compartments to find it occupied. By none other than Dean Thomas and Ron's sister, Ginny - who were attached to each other at the mouth.</p><p>"Er - "</p><p>Harry bit back a laugh at the look on Ron's face. He was turning greener by the minute, and right before he looked like he was about to throw up his breakfast all over the floor, Harry acted wisely by sliding the door closed.</p><p>"Ron!" he snapped at his best friend, who was protesting vehemently. "Honestly, I have a sister as well. You don't see <em>me</em> going around trying to hex whoever snogs her."</p><p>"For Merlin's sake, I want to rip that tosser Dean in two. Let me go, Harry - I said, let. Me. Go!"</p><p>"You can do that once we get back to school, okay? Get a grip on yourself."</p><p>Five minutes later, Harry was at the entrance of the sixth potentially empty compartment, tugging on Ron's robes, trying to keep him from running off to murder Dean.</p><p>"Here's hoping I don't find Iris snogging someone inside this compartment," Harry said sarcastically, ignoring Ron's angry grumbling behind him.</p><p>He slid the door open, relieved to find it mostly vacant - except for another student they had never seen before sitting in the corner. She had her bushy brown hair tied into a knot at the top of her head, and her nose was tucked in a fat book, and she barely heard the two boys open the door.</p><p>"Um, hello - " Harry said tentatively, effectively catching the girl's attention. She looked up, her brown eyes surveying the newcomers.</p><p>"Oh, er - hi, - " she said, giving them a small, polite smile.</p><p>"Er - do you think we could sit here? Everywhere else is taken."</p><p>"Sure," said the girl. "Thanks!" Harry grinned, pulling Ron into the compartment with him.</p><p>"I'm Hermione Granger, by the way," the girl continued further, putting out a hand. Harry shook it, and said, "Harry Potter. And this is my friend, Ron Weasley."</p><p>"Pleasure to meet you both."</p><p>And then Hermione went back to her tome, paying neither Harry nor Ron any attention throughout the first few hours of their journey together. About ten minutes later, Ron whipped out his chess set and flattened Harry five times in a row. Hermione kept her book down for some time after that, but only because she wanted "to give the eyes a bit of rest".</p><p>She then revealed that she was in fact a new student at Hogwarts. This intrigued the boys, and Harry made the mistake of asking her about her previous school. In response, Hermione went on and on about her former school - Beauxbatons, incidentally, the alma mater of Fleur Delacour, Ron's to-be sister-in-law, and how different she was finding Hogwarts until now. Ron managed to doze off halfway into her lecture with his head on Harry's shoulder. </p><p>Hermione only stopped when the the trolley witch came along some time later, and the boys treated themselves to a heap of Chocolate Frogs and Pumpkin Pasties. Hermione bought just a sandwich. Apparently, her parents were dentists and therefore had forbidden her from eating too much to sweet stuff.</p><p>After their hefty 'meal' of sorts, Hermione went back to her book and Ron left the compartment to visit his girlfriend, Lavender Brown, and never returned. Harry was compelled to start reading his Potions textbook instead, for he was sure Professor Snape would be more than delighted to deduct a few points off Gryffindor on the very first day of school.</p>
<hr/><p>"Hello, Harry, Ron, have a good summer?" asked Neville Longbottom as they proceeded towards the same carriage together.</p><p>"Yeah, it was fairly good," Harry replied. "Ron's was better, apparently."</p><p>The tips of Ron's ears turned pink. Neville raised an eyebrow. "How so?"</p><p>Harry smirked. "He spent two weeks at Lavender's." Ron blushed even more, and stammered, "Eh - nothing like that - "</p><p>"Lavender Brown's?" Neville asked.</p><p>"Yep, the very," Harry grinned, dodging a punch from his best friend. Neville laughed. "Then it must have been really good."</p><p>"Hello. What's good?"</p><p>The boys turned around to find Ginny and Iris, Harry's sister.</p><p>"Ron's summer," snickered Harry.</p><p>"Ah," Ginny said knowingly. "Yes, it was good. Ron bragged about how he'd taken dear Lav-Lav to her family dinner for a week when he returned home."</p><p>"Ginny!" Ron exclaimed, affronted, his face like a ripe tomato.</p><p>The girls dissolved into giggles while Harry and Neville continued to tease Ron about his new girlfriend all the way to their carriage. They finally stopped when they reached the castle doors, from where they shuffled into the Great Hall in a large, black-robed, murmuring mass of students.</p><p>The chatter died down when tiny Professor Flitwick scurried down the middle of the Great Hall, past the queasy looking first-years, carrying the tattered Sorting Hat in his arms. He set it down upon the stool near where Minerva McGonagall stood, and then joined the rest of the staff at the Head Table.</p><p>Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, her keen eyes surveying the entire hall shrewdly, before she clasped her hands together.</p><p>"Welcome and welcome back, to everyone of you, new and old. This year, I'm pleased to announce that we have a new sixth year student, transferred from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France. Please, join me in welcoming: Miss Hermione Granger."</p><p>The hall filled with a polite smattering of applause. Harry and Ron's eyes immediately shot to the girl in question, who was standing with the first year students, and had turned slightly pink and was smiling nervously up at Professor McGonagall. </p><p>"She's in our year," Ron whispered to Harry, who nodded. He already knew that, because he'd been able to stay awake through Hermione's speech back in the train.</p><p>"Now," Professor McGonagall's voice broke through the noise in the Great Hall. "Miss Granger, please come up to the Head Table for your Sorting."</p><p>A few of the students whispered 'good luck' to Hermione, including Ginny and Iris. Hermione, now sporting quite a stoic look on her face, walked smartly up to the Head Table, before sitting down on the stool. Professor McGonagall then placed the Sorting Hat on her head.</p><p>A few minutes of silence,in which everyone looked expectantly up Hermione. Her interlocked hands lay on her lap, and her eyes were shut tight, and she was murmuring something.</p><p>"GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat roared out after the while.</p><p>As expected, the Gryffindor table burst with cheers and enthusiastic applause. Hermione had a radiant smile on her face as she jumped off the stool. Professor McGonagall gave her a small smile, which she returned, before she returned to the Gryffindor table.</p><p>She plopped herself down on an empty spot beside Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, who started squealing obnoxiously about how ecstatic they were that Gryffindor had received a new student. They tried to indulge her in their usual gossip, pointing discreetly at this boy and that and giggling. Hermione looked distinctly annoyed, and with a polite sort of half-smile, proceeded to watch the rest of the Sorting instead.</p><p>"Benson, Polly."</p><p>A miniscule girl with her red hair in pigtails stumbled her way up to Professor McGonagall. The Hat dropped to the bridge of her nose and stayed there for a few seconds before it called out:</p><p>"RAVENCLAW!"</p><p>Polly Benson let herself join the Ravenclaws with an euphoric look on her face, and be thumped proudly on the back by her housemates.</p><p>"Bradford, Gregory."</p><p>Greg Bradford happened to be an even tinier boy, and it looked like he would fall face first on the floor any moment. When the Sorting Hat eventually put in Gryffindor, he scrambled to the Gryffindor table with a giddy grin on his face.</p><p>The next few students were all Sorted into Hufflepuff, and then came a row of Slytherins. When the last student, a girl ("Upton, Alice!") with gleaming golden hair, was Sorted into Gryffindor, Filch carried the Sorting Hat and the stool away, and Professor McGonagall joined the Head Table. Professor Dumbledore then stood up. His blue eyes roved over all the students over the rim of his half-moon glasses, before he smiled.</p><p>"Welcome, new students, and welcome back, old ones," he boomed. "I am sure we will have enough time for fancy speeches, but now's not it. So, without further ado, let's all begin our start-of-term feast!"</p><p>A few of the students laughed, while Ron patted his stomach thoughtfully. Soon, their tables were loaded with platters of food and goblets of pumpkin juice.</p><p>"Tuck in!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there you have it, a rather uneventful first chapter. Also, I think I kind of messed up that compartment scene. They should've talked some more. But in my defence, I have seen people who can survive overnight train journeys with their mouths completely shut the whole time. Dunno if that's a thing that happens in other places, too, though.</p><p> </p><p>Thank you for reading, and do let me know what you thought of it :) See you next Wednesday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, everyone. Welcome back. And honestly, I can't thank you guys enough for all your favourites, kudos, follows, bookmarks and comments on the first chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Of A Feather</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Chapter 2</strong>
</p><p>Not for the first time in wizarding history, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were running late.</p><p>After the hefty dinner from the feast last night, the two boys had drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep. Which was why when they finally awoke, sunlight was streaming in through the sheer red curtains - which signified that the windows had been opened, and the dorm was empty except for the two of them. As a result, the second it struck Harry, whose mind was still fuzzy from sleep, he tossed the covers to the side and scrambled out of his four-poster.</p><p>"Ron!" He shook his best friend, who was still drooling and mumbling incoherently. "Ron!"</p><p>"Mm...Wassamatter?"</p><p>"For Merlin's sake, Ron, it's time for class - get up!"</p><p>Ron sat up, rubbing his eyes lazily, while Harry thought it wiser to rush to the bathroom. He then hurriedly changed out of his pyjamas and into his school robes. His tie was only half-done and hanging loosely around his neck when he grabbed his book bag, and with Ron hot on his heel, dashed out of the dormitory and the portrait hole.</p><p>The two were late by forty whole minutes when they arrived at the entrance of their Transfiguration classroom. Professor McGonagall, who was initially speaking to the rest of the class, turned around. She pursed her lips in exasperation when she saw them, dishevelled and out of breath, standing at the door.</p><p>"Good morning, Professor McGonagall," Harry said, somewhat sheepishly.</p><p>"Mr Weasley, Mr Potter." She shook her head at Harry. "I expected better of you than to turn up late for the first class of the new session, Mr Potter."</p><p>Harry turned pink at her words. "Sorry, Professor, we - erm - overslept." Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at him. "Won't happen again, sorry," he mumbled, shuffling his foot nervously against the stone floor.</p><p>"Well, let's not dawdle any more, then" said McGonagall sharply. "You may come in."</p><p>Harry and Ron hurried into the classroom with a mumbled thank-you each. There was an empty seat in the front of the room, and they had no choice but to sit there. Harry noticed Hermione Granger seated right beside the empty spot, and she was giving the two of them rather annoyed looks, as if they had personally offended her.</p><p>"So," Professor McGonagall began, "we were talking about Elemental Transfiguration before the two of you arrived, Mr Potter and Mr Weasley. I remember glossing over this very topic in your fifth year."</p><p>There were a few mumbles of affirmation from the students.</p><p>"Very well. Can any of you name one important law which finds its use in Elemental Transfiguration? I must have mentioned it in one of our discussions last year."</p><p>She looked at the class, most of whom had their heads bent upon their textbooks, flipping viciously from page to page, possibly searching for the answer. Harry was about to take out his own textbook when McGonagall rounded on him.</p><p>"Mr Potter? Do you have the answer? You scored an Outstanding in your Transfiguration O.W.L., if I remember correctly?"</p><p>Harry blushed beet red. He had indeed received an O in Transfiguration, but that did not mean he had remembered to revise his syllabus before school began.</p><p>"Erm - sorry, Professor - I - er - I forgot, I guess."</p><p>Professor McGonagall sighed. "I thought you would've been sincere enough to go through your textbook during the summer, Mr Potter." Then she looked at Hermione Granger, whose hand was in the air. "Yes, Miss Granger? Even though I've never taught you before, I assume your Beauxbatons Professor has?"</p><p>"Yes, Professor. It's the Gamp's Law," Hermione replied crisply, standing up. "Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration." Harry noticed that her accent had only a slight French edge to it, despite her being a student in France all these years.</p><p>Professor McGonagall gave her one of her rarest smiles, wordlessly asking her to sit down.</p><p>"Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration," she repeated aloud to the class. "It is meet you remember this, students, because it is of utmost significance for your N.E.W.T.s."</p><p>"Woah, Harry," Ron uttered from beside him, while eyeing Hermione discreetly. "Looks like you've got yourself a competitor."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Ron smirked. "That Granger girl. You've got competition, mate, that's what I am saying. Good luck."</p><p>They had a free period right after that, which Ron spent playing Exploding Snap with Ginny and Iris, who also had a free period. Harry, on the other hand, considered going through his Charms textbook. He did not want Hermione Granger to outsmart him in <em>yet </em>another subject.</p><p>But, of course, she did.</p><p>After one hour of leisure, he and Ron found themselves in their Charms classroom. As usual, Professor Flitwick stood on top of a stack of books, squeaking away about the properties of the Silencing Charm.</p><p>"So, now," said Professor Flitwick after about twenty minutes of speaking continuously, "can any one of you be kind enough to demonstrate the Silencing Charm on your toads? Maybe I could make it more difficult - can you do it <em>non-verbally</em>?"</p><p>His small, beady eyes scanned the classroom, his mouth stretched in an excited grin.</p><p>"Professor!"</p><p>Harry whipped around. Hermione Granger's hand was back up in the air.</p><p><em>Come on, brain. I must remember this</em>, Harry thought. Uncle Moony, or Professor Lupin at school, had taught him how to cast charms and spells without the verbal incantation over the summer, but how could he not remember it?!</p><p>"Yes, Miss Granger, I think your name is?" Professor Flitwick asked.</p><p>"Yes, Professor."</p><p>"Very well," grinned Flitwick. "Can you show us how the Silencing Charm is cast, non-verbally?"</p><p>"Yes, Sir."</p><p>And then she drew her hand from the pocket of her robes, pointed it at the toad on her desk - whose loud croaks were filling the room - and with a look of intense concentration on her face, did a very complicated motion with her wand.</p><p>The toad shut up mid-croak.</p><p>"Bravo! Bravo!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping enthusiastically and threatening to topple off the stack of books he was standing on. Some of the students, too, began to clap at the display - which Harry thought was not <em>that </em>spectacular.</p><p>"Well done, Miss Granger," said Flitwick. "Twenty points to Gryffindor!"</p><p>Hermione turned slightly pink, muttered a "thank-you, Professor", and put her wand down. Ron smirked at Harry.</p><p>"Mr Potter?"</p><p>
  <em>There. He was done for.</em>
</p><p>"Er - yes, Professor Flitwick?"</p><p>"Professor Lupin told me he'd taught you non-verbal charms over the summer. Could you possibly give us a demonstration, as well?"</p><p>
  <em>Oops.</em>
</p><p>The floor began to look <em>very </em>interesting, all of a sudden. Harry looked back at Professor Flitwick, who was already looking expectantly at him.</p><p>"Um, sorry Professor, I - er - forgot."</p><p>"Oh, that's alright, Mr Potter," Professor Flitwick waved a hand dismissively, before continuing with the rest of the lecture. At the end of the class, only a few of the students managed to silence their toads completely non-verbally, which included Hermione <em>and </em>Harry. He was, therefore, quite pleased with himself even after an hour and a half, when he was entering the Ancient Runes classroom.</p><p>His mother was standing in front of the classroom, leaning against the teacher's table with her arms crossed across her chest. Harry's eyes widened when Lily looked at him with what was distinctly an annoyed expression on her face.</p><p>Seeing that none of his classmates had arrived yet, he grinned somewhat guiltily at his mother. "Er - hi, Mum," he said.</p><p>"Don't you 'hi, Mum' me, Harry James Potter," Lily snapped. Harry winced. It spelt danger whenever his mother made use of his full name. "I can't believe you overslept and turned up late for class on the very <em>first </em>day of the new term, and by <em>forty minutes </em>at that."</p><p>She jabbed her index finger in his chest angrily to make her point. "Honestly," she shook her head, "I am very disappointed in you, Harry. If this happens again, I'll personally make sure you get detention. Do I make myself clear?"</p><p>Harry nodded, his eyes large in fear. Behind him, the other students had started slowly filling the classroom.</p><p>"Good," said Lily. "Take your seat."</p><p>"Yeah, and um, sorry," Harry uttered, before walking over to sit down beside Neville, because Ron did not take Ancient Runes. A few seats away from him, he saw Hermione Granger rummaging in her bag. <em>For Merlin's sake, do we have to take the </em>exact <em>same classes? </em>He thought exasperatedly, pulling out a quill, parchment and Rune Dictionary. His mum waited until everyone had arrived, and then cleared her throat.</p><p>"Good morning, students," she said aloud, bringing her hands together and smiling courteously at everyone. "I hope you all had a good summer?"</p><p>"Yes, Professor," echoed a few of the students.</p><p>"Good. And now we're back. Welcome to your sixth year Ancient Runes class, everyone! This year is very significant for us, not only because the N.E.W.T.s are closer than ever, but also because this subject is one of the requisites for those of you who wish to become Healers, Curse-breakers or Wizarding Archaeologists."</p><p>She surveyed the class with her bright green eyes. "Well, enough for the introduction. Please open your books to page one, everyone."</p><p>The sound of turning pages filled the room. When it had quietened down, Lily continued, "Before we begin a new lesson, I want to make sure you haven't forgotten whatever you've learnt before."</p><p>Harry inhaled sharply. Could this day be any worse? He only hoped his mother was so angry with him she did not want to question <em>him</em>.</p><p>But it turned out to be the exact opposite, for his mother's eyes fell on him the next moment.</p><p>"Mr Potter," she said softly, and though it was not very obvious, slyly. One look at her face and he knew - this was her way for making him pay for not reaching Transfiguration in time. He could not understand why she was so annoyed about it, it wasn't as though he had completely skipped the class.</p><p>"Mu - I mean, er, yes, Professor?" he stammered, wishing he was seventeen instead of sixteen so he could Disapparate out of the classroom. Then Iris' smug little face drifted into his mind's eye, and he remembered her telling him repeatedly that one simply could not Apparate or Disapparate in and out of Hogwarts, no matter if they were under or over age. Harry scowled mentally.</p><p>"Could you please translate and then explain the definition of these symbols for us?" his mother's voice broke him out of his reverie.</p><p>And for the third time in the last five hours, Harry said, "I'm sorry, Professor - I don't remember - "</p><p>Lily looked at him with a plain, blank expression on her face, as though she knew very well her son wouldn't be able to answer.</p><p>And again, for the third time in the last five hours, he felt more than saw Hermione Granger's hand shoot up into the air. Immediately, Harry decided he hated this girl. It would have been <em>so </em>much better if she'd just stayed at Beauxbatons, wouldn't it?</p><p>"Oh, yes, and you are Miss Granger, I presume?"</p><p>"Yes, Professor," Hermione Granger said breathlessly. And then she proceeded to explain the runes, in what was, judging by the look on his mum's face and the awed ones on his friends' faces, a flawless manner.</p><p>Lily blinked. She hadn't really expected anyone to be <em>completely</em> able to explain the runes, to be honest. And if she remembered correctly, this particular topic wasn't fully covered in Beauxbatons, either.</p><p>"Where did you learn this, Miss Granger?"</p><p>"Oh, um, in <em>An Advanced Study of Runic Literature</em>, Professor. Over the summer."</p><p>Harry made a face at Granger, which he hoped his mother did not see. Thankfully, she didn't.</p><p>"Very good, Miss Granger, impressive indeed," Lily gave her a small smile. "Ten points to Gryffindor.</p><p>"Thank you, Professor," Granger breathed, grinning a little.</p><p>After the class, when everyone was gone, Lily rounded on Harry.</p><p>"So," she glared at him. "You forgot, huh? Of course you would, if you play Quidditch all summer with your dad and your godfather. Twelve measly O.W.L.s and you've gotten smugger than ever, haven't you? You hear me out, Mr Potter, you can get twelve O.W.L.s even if you study for just a month before the exams. But N.E.W.T.s are completely different. Don't you expect yourself to top your year even if you fly around on that bloody Firebolt of yours all day. Oh, I should've taken it away from you the second Sirius gave it to you. I'll go have a talk with that idiot."</p><p>Then Lily, with a last angry glare at her son, gathered her things.</p><p>"Come on, now," she said to Harry, her voice softening a tad at the look on his face. "We're getting late for lunch."</p><p>But as Harry followed his mother out of the empty classroom, he rather thought he felt anything but hungry.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter comes next Wednesday. Hope you guys stick around :)</p><p>Stay safe, and wash your hands!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Duel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, everyone. Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement on the first two chapters. Here is Chapter Three. I hope you enjoy it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over the first two weeks, Harry’s dislike towards Hermione Granger only grew. She managed to outsmart him in each and every class, and every single teacher simply adored her. His mother even told him one day that Granger reminded her of her own self! And it did not help that whenever Harry saw her, she had a book either tucked under her arm, or before her eyes. In fact, not even one day went by without him seeing her at breakfast with a fat book resting against a jug of pumpkin juice and a piece of bacon stuck on a fork threatening to poke her in the eye. </p><p>Ron loved to take the mickey out of him, of course. He found it immensely amusing and satisfying that after five long years, someone had <em> finally </em>arrived to show Harry that he wasn’t the best at everything he did. “You know, sometimes I think Hermione Granger’s a godsend. You’ve been far too smug for too long, I think.”</p><p>But of course, the worst that could ever happen hadn’t happened. <em> Yet </em>. Defence had always been Harry’s favourite subject, and his strongest point. Fortunately, Uncle Moony —  or Professor Lupin —  had yet to ask them any questions on any topic whatsoever, so Hermione hadn’t had the opportunity to outsmart him. But as Ron so kindly took it upon himself to remind Harry every now and then, it would not be long until Granger managed to flatten him in Defence as well.</p><p>Then came that fateful day. Professor Lupin announced cheerily to the sixth years that he would be testing everyone’s duelling skills the next week, and Harry had never been more determined to prove himself. He’d show that Hermione Granger that she would not be able to get the better of him all the time. Yes. That’d wipe that smug little smile off her face and bring her stupid nose down from where it always remained in the air. And it would also show the teachers (and his mother, most importantly - who always looked as though she was seconds away from adopting Granger) that well, Harry James Potter had not received twelve O.W.L.s for nothing. </p><p>His sister Iris sensed this burst of newfound motivation in him, and since Ron looked highly disinterested in talking about his best friend’s academic prowess and instead walked off with his broomstick on his shoulder with a mumbled ‘stupid prefects’, it was Iris who was left to listen to Harry’s rant about how much he wanted to defeat Granger.</p><p>“Harry. Stop. Don’t get so riled up,” Iris said placatingly, putting a comforting hand on her brother’s shoulder. “You need your energy for the duel tomorrow, don’t you?”</p><p>Harry’s eyes caught Granger entering the Common Room through the portrait hole with as always, that complacent look on her face. With the stack of books she had in her arms, she disappeared up the staircase to the girl’s dormitories.</p><p>Harry scowled and turned his attention back to his sister. Iris rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Harry, are you listening to me?”</p><p>“Yes. Yes, OK? Now for Merlin’s sake, I need to sleep,” he said, irritated. He plopped himself down on his back and stared into the ceiling listlessly.</p><p>“If you say so,” Iris shrugged. “See you, Harry!”</p><p>“Yeah, see you,” Harry mumbled. Iris stood up from the couch and bounced away towards where Ginny and some other students from her year sat. </p><p>*.*.*</p><p>Remus Lupin entered the class with his long, dark cloak fluttering behind him. The tired expression and the bags below his eyes that had marred his rather young face only last week were finally gone, and he looked energetic and quite prepared for a practical Defence lesson. </p><p>The chairs and desks had been moved towards the walls, creating a large clearing for the duel. At present, the students of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw sixth year stood collected in the empty space, their bright eyes and excited chatter betraying their poorly masked eagerness for the class to begin.</p><p>“All right, everyone,” Professor Lupin said. “We’ll duel in two pairs. No illegal magic, only Stunning, disarming and mild hexes. No physical attack. Injuries, if any, should be such that they can be fixed by Madam Pomfrey. I’d rather there were no injuries at all, but it’s unavoidable at times. I hope you’ve all got your wands ready.”</p><p>“- and squeaky clean,” supplied Seamus Finnigan under his breath. Harry rolled his eyes, for it had been him who had spent a good one hour in the morning polishing his wand ‘for improved performance’. Ron sniggered, then winced when the heel of Harry’s shoe landed right on the toes of his right foot.</p><p>“Well, separate yourselves, then,” Professor Lupin said. “Ron, Seamus, Mandy, Parvati and Padma, Anthony, Lisa, Terry, and Neville, over there, please. And the rest of you, over to the other side.”</p><p>Half of the group shuffled over to the right side of the room, while the others moved towards the left. </p><p>“Good. Now - who do we choose to go first?” </p><p>Several hands shot up into the air. Professor Lupin scanned the groups before his eyes rested on Hermione Granger.</p><p>“Ah, Hermione Granger, am I correct?” he said.</p><p>“Yes, Professor,” Granger said confidently.</p><p>“I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing you duel before, Hermione. So let’s start with you, shall we?” Lupin asked with a smile. </p><p>“Of course, Sir.”</p><p>Granger withdrew her wand from the inside of her robes and walked into the clearing, waiting for Professor Lupin to call out the name of her opponent.</p><p>“And - let’s see. Mr Thomas, if you please?” Lupin said. </p><p>“Good luck,” whispered Harry and Neville. Dean acknowledged them with a nod, before joining Granger in the centre of the classroom.</p><p>“Neville and Michael, please.”</p><p>Neville, who looked somewhat queasy, and Michael Corner, his face expressionless joined the duelling area and faced each other. Professor Lupin waved his wand, conjuring an invisible shield that would protect the spectators against deviated spells and hexes.</p><p>“Wonderful. Shake hands and bow, you four, and then we’ll begin.”</p><p>Granger looked fierce and determined as she gripped Dean’s hand and shook it firmly before they each gave the other a low bow. Then they stood upright, in perfect attention.</p><p>“One. Two. Three!”</p><p>Almost immediately, there was a flurry of noise, flashes of light and voices. Beside Harry, Ron watched the duels with his mouth hanging open. “Ow,” he winced when Neville was almost hit with a particularly nasty hex, then himself flung a <em> Rictusempra </em>at Michael who had to dodge fast to avoid it.</p><p>“Did you see that, Harry?” Ron asked excitedly, but Harry had eyes only for Granger. He needed to know her style if he had to defeat her. It was a good thing duelling did not need revising, for then Granger was sure to do better than him. </p><p>Dean was fast, but not as fast as Granger. So far, however, he had been unable to get the better of her even for a minute. She looked almost relaxed as she fired spells at him, and though Harry hated to admit it — it was like she was playing with Dean. Her face was otherwise devoid of any other expression, as though she did not want her opponent to get an inkling of what she was feeling or what she was about to do.</p><p>Dean, on the other hand, was more expressive and when he realised it would take a lot of calculation to overpower Granger, he began to fire random spells at her.</p><p>“<em> Stupefy </em>!” he shouted, red light erupting from the end of his wand and shooting straight towards Granger. Just when everyone thought he had finally got to her, she threw up a Shield Charm in front of her with an effortless wave of her wand. The sudden force caused the Stunning Spell to ricochet off it, backfiring at Dean — who was taken aback and barely dodged it.</p><p>Then it all happened very fast. Granger flicked what looked like a full Body-Bind Charm at Dean. His legs trembled, then gave way under him and he crumpled to the floor.</p><p>Hermione Granger had just won a duel without speaking a single word.</p><p>It was now that Harry wished desperately he had paid more attention when Professor Lupin had taught him non-verbal magic over the summer.</p><p>There was silence for a few seconds as everyone stared at Granger as she removed the Body-Bind from Dean and helped him to his feet.</p><p>“Well done, Hermione!” Professor Lupin said, beaming at Granger. “I haven’t really covered non-verbal magic in this class, but you seem to be quite adept at them.”</p><p>Granger flushed with pride. “Thank you, Professor.”</p><p>Neville won against Michael, next, and all four of them were allowed to have a break while Professor Lupin called Ron and Padma Patil, and Lavender and Lisa Turpin.</p><p>Twenty minutes later, it was a rather annoyed Ron Weasley that returned from the duel, grumbling and sweaty.</p><p>“At least she didn’t use non-verbal magic,” Harry said knowingly. “God knows I might just be paired with Granger, of all people.”</p><p>“But that’s what you want, don’t you?” Ron asked, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. “To show Granger ‘<em> she’s not best at everything she does </em>’?”</p><p>“I know I said that, but she’s doing everything wordlessly. How am I supposed to defeat her if she duels like <em> that </em>?” Harry said. “It’s not fair of Uncle Moo—Professor Lupin to let her use non-verbal magic.”</p><p>“Harry, if you will,” Professor Lupin said the very next moment, and Harry groaned inwardly. </p><p>“And Hermione, please.” </p><p>Ron grinned at Harry, whispering ‘good luck’. Harry gave him the thumbs-up, before taking off his robe and stepping into the duelling area.</p><p>Granger took off her own robe and dropped it on an empty chair, before rolling the sleeves of her shirt to her elbows.</p><p>Her wand held tight in her right hand, she joined Harry in the duelling space.</p><p>*.*.*</p><p>Well, Potter was one talented dueller.</p><p>That was the first thing that struck Hermione as she ducked to avoid another Stunning Spell. It also struck her that it was the first time she had tagged one of her classmates with the words ‘talented dueller’. </p><p>But Potter, with his fierce stare, the determined look on his face, and the way he deftly swerved her hexes and fired his own at her, could be described as nothing but.</p><p>And Hermione hated to admit that to herself. It was probably the first time she was ever having difficulty overcoming an opponent. </p><p>“Come on, Hermione,” she whispered to herself through gritted teeth as Potter blocked <em> another </em>one of her Impediment Jinxes. It was then that Hermione decided to send a Body-Bind Curse towards Potter. </p><p>The jinx caught him unawares, and although he jumped at the last moment to avoid it, he twisted his ankle in the process. By the time he managed to steady himself, Hermione had cast a quick <em> Expelliarmus. </em></p><p>But alas, he was quicker.</p><p>“<em> Protego </em>!”</p><p>The red light of the Disarming Spell rebounded off the invisible shield. Hermione’s eyes widened and she wiped her forehead with her palm.</p><p>“<em> Aguamenti </em>!”</p><p>"<em>Avis</em>!" Hermione cried, forgetting momentarily that she needed to be quiet if she had to win -- but it was all right.</p><p>A jet of water issued from the end of Potter’s wand, directed straight at her. Hermione spun her hand, grinning slightly as halfway through its course, the water morphed into a bright yellow canaries that twittered happily before flying out the window.</p><p>Potter deflected her next Stunning Spell like it was nothing, then fired a <em> Silencio </em>.</p><p>Hermione smirked. A <em> Silencing Charm </em>of all things? Hadn’t he just seen her all this while duelling silently?</p><p>Harry’s eyes widened behind his round glasses, almost immediately, in realisation. As expected, the Silencing Charm did not have any obvious effect on Hermione. </p><p>It wouldn’t be long until Potter succumbed to her as well.</p><p>*.*.*</p><p><em> Come on, Harry </em>.</p><p>While he had not allowed Granger to find a weakness in him yet, he was still struggling to overmatch her. She was retaliating to his spells with equally powerful ones of her one.</p><p>Harry barely noticed the slack jaws and wide-as-Gobstones eyes of his classmates, taking in the duel between the new student and the one who was probably on the path of soon becoming the <em> former </em>top student of the year.</p><p>
  <em> No. Don’t think that. You’re not going to let her get to you. </em>
</p><p>Harry wiped the blood that was seeping out of his upper lip. Granger was doing every single thing non-verbally. So that was an advantage she had over him. He couldn’t weaken her with the Silencing Charm. His strength was waning, he could feel it. </p><p>He needed to do something. Fast. </p><p>He tried to recall whatever he had learnt during the summer. Then it hit him that he could not silence Granger, but he could at least confound her. </p><p>But a Confundus Charm required immense concentration, and he doubted he could afford that right now. </p><p>He ducked another hex sent his way. </p><p>
  <em> The Jelly-Brain Jinx!  </em>
</p><p>He had read about it in the book his mother had bought him summer after fourth year. Yes, a Jelly-Brain Jinx would do the trick. But it was but a mild jinx, in the words of the book itself — ‘made for amusing the spell-caster’, could it possibly be enough? Then he remembered Uncle Moony's words.</p><p><em>Don’t underestimate </em>any <em>spell. You never know what's going to save your life.</em></p><p>Granger, he noted, was using only a few selected spells and jinxes. Would she possibly be able to guess his motives? If he managed to get the incantation correct, he’d muddle her thoughts enough to lessen her concentration over her magic.</p><p>Harry swerved another Impediment Jinx, before pointing his wand at her and uttering the jinx.</p><p>Initially, Granger looked unaffected. Then for a second her face acquired a fuzzy sort of look.</p><p>“<em> Expelliarmus </em>!” Harry whispered, and Granger’s wand spun out of her fingers and dropped to the floor about a metre or two away from her, making a resounding clatter. Harry quickly summoned the wand to himself.</p><p>The silence that followed was deafening.</p><p>Harry smirked instinctively to himself. He had managed to prove that he wasn’t completely useless, after all.</p><p>“Well done, both of you!” Professor Lupin said, smiling, as Harry threw Granger’s wand back to her. She caught it, and then turned around to busy herself with her school bag, pretending to arrange the books inside it.</p><p>“And that, class, is how a proper duel is done,” Lupin continued. </p><p>“Hermione, your spellwork and your ability to keep a straight face while duelling is admirable — it’s very important that you don’t give away what you’re about to do. You can also do non-verbal magic — which your classmates can’t. Although, in a real duel, your opponent will probably be able to do non-verbal magic as well — so it’s not much of an advantage. Your weakness is that you prefer to use the more powerful spells — the ones specifically made for duelling. As I have told my class several times, never underestimate any spell. Even a light-hearted Tickling Charm can do the trick if you use it correctly. Do you understand?”</p><p>“Yes, Professor,” Granger said, nodding once. Lupin smiled. “Very impressive performance overall, good job!”</p><p>*.*.*</p><p>“I’m proud of you, mate!” Ron said, thumping Harry on the back enthusiastically. “Flattening Granger with a <em> Jelly-Brain Jinx </em>, of all things? You know, there were a few moments in there where I thought you’d let her get to you — but you did great.”</p><p>Harry grinned, unwrapping a Chocolate Frog and biting its head off. </p><p>“She duels good, too, though,” Ron continued knowingly. “So don’t get too smug, by the way. She’s still better than you at everything else.”</p><p>Harry rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me.”</p><p>*.*.*</p><p>Hermione hated this.</p><p>She hated that a simple duel made her so upset. She hated herself for overlooking the milder hexes and jinxes, hated that she knew them very well but didn’t have the sense to apply them during the duel.</p><p>And most of all, she hated Potter. </p><p>
  <em> Why, though? Because he managed to thrash you in that duel? Because you were stupid enough to underrate a Jelly-Brain while he wasn’t? </em>
</p><p>She jabbed the tip of her quill a bit too harshly, and it pierced through the parchment. Hermione groaned, dropping her head against the top of her desk and closing her eyes.</p><p>The corners of her eyes stung a little, and she shut her eyes tight, willing herself not to cry. It was stupid to cry over such a foolish thing as losing in a duel. It wasn’t the only duel she’d ever participated in, nor the last one. </p><p>Well, one thing was for sure, she would not give up. She would not be a sore loser. In fact, the next time she and Harry stood in front of each other in Defence class, Hermione would make sure everyone realised she wasn’t just someone who mugged spells up from a textbook, but one who also knew when to apply what spell. </p><p>Hermione Granger didn’t lose heart just because she’d lost.</p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. Also, just so you know, my exams are going to start really soon. So towards the end of this month and the beginning of July updates might be biweekly. I'll try to avoid that, though.</p><p>Let me know what you thought of this chapter. See you next Wednesday!</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello. I hope you all are having a good day so far. Without further ado, here's Chapter Four. Thank you for all your support and encouragement on the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Iris came grinning into the Common Room, plopping herself down on the chair across from her brother. He was seated at one of the desks in the Gryffindor Common Room, head bent over a long roll of parchment, quill scratching furiously against it. A fat book lay open on the desk.</p><p>“Hiya, Harry!” she said excitedly. “What’s this?”</p><p>“Potions homework. Properties of Wolfsbane,” Harry muttered, not looking up from the parchment.</p><p>“Ah,” Iris said, leaning the chair back on its two hind legs and rocking on it. “When will you be done?”</p><p>An eyebrow raised, Harry looked at his sister. “Why the sudden curiosity? And what’s got you so excited, by the way?”</p><p>“I sound excited, do I?” Iris asked, grinning a little. “Well, maybe I do. Maybe it’s because Mum gave us all a project on Ancient Runes.”</p><p>“I see,” said Harry, flipping a page of the book and marking something on one particular page with his quill. “Did she? I never knew Runes was your favourite subject.”</p><p>“It isn’t. But it’s a team project,” Iris said, tapping the top of the table with her fingernails and waggling her eyebrows at him. “And guess who I’ve been paired with?”</p><p>“Who?” Harry deadpanned, his gaze still not straying from his work. </p><p>Iris rolled her eyes and poked Harry in the wrist. "Oi! Are you listening?"</p><p>"Hmm. Yes. Go on," he muttered, scratching out some words off his parchment. </p><p> “With Jack Sloper!” she squealed. “He’s so helpful, and friendly, not to mention that he’s absolutely gorgeous to look at!”</p><p>This particular comment made Harry look up, and his eyes widened. “<em> Jack Sloper </em>?”</p><p>“Yep,” grinned Iris, popping the ‘p’ like she usually did when she was rather enthusiastic, “and I remember Ginny telling me that he did great in the Beaters’ tryouts? Shame I had to go after my own tryout. Speaking of Gin, don’t tell Ron that I caught her and Dean snogging in a broom cupboard near the Potions classroom this morning. He’ll go absolutely nuts.”</p><p>Harry snorted at this. Ginny and Dean could rarely be seen without the other ever since they became an item.</p><p>“I won’t,” he replied,”but please promise me that <em> I’m </em> not going to find <em> you </em> and that Sloper glued to each other inside one of those cupboards a few weeks from today?” </p><p>Iris laughed. “Would you be angry if I did?” she asked, and Harry detected a trace of uncertainty in her voice.</p><p>Harry sighed. “Not really. I’m not Ron,” he said, grinning some. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to dock points off of you if I <em>do </em>find you in a broom closet."</p><p>“And that’s why you’re the best brother in the world,” his sister said. “Oh, and by the way, Mum’s going to assign you sixth years a project as well, so this could be another opportunity for you to beat Hermione Granger.”</p><p>Harry raised an eyebrow at her. “Really?” he asked.</p><p>“Oh yeah,” she nodded. “But don’t be too hard on her, though. She’s become noticeably upset after she lost that duel against you.”</p><p>Harry’s eyes immediately sought out the girl in question. Granger was seated on one of the couches at the far corner of the Common Room. A large book lay open on her lap. Suddenly, she looked up and her and Harry’s gazes met. An expression of indifference overtook her face, and with a scowl of sorts, she returned to her reading. Harry turned back to his sister and shrugged.</p><p>“We’ll see.”</p><hr/><p>Lily Potter strode into the Ancient Runes classroom, placed her books and wand neatly on top of her desk, took off her cloak and hung it over the back of her chair, and turned around to look at her class. </p><p>“Good afternoon, students,” she said, her eyes sweeping over the sixth years who were staring intently and expectantly at her. </p><p>“Good afternoon, Professor Potter,” the students chanted as one. </p><p>Professor Potter nodded. “I have some news for you today. So I would like it if you give me your full attention — at least until I finish discussing this.”</p><p>There was some faint rustling as the students sat up straighter in their seats and students at the back (including the one who was scratching away on the wooden surface of their desk with a quill). </p><p>“I am going to assign each one of you a project, which aims at enhancing your knowledge of the ancient runes, and it is something that you won’t get in your school textbooks,” Professor Potter continued. “The project is of significance for your N.E.W.T.s and you can think of it as a practical examination. However, this is going to be a <em> group </em>project, because your Headmaster insists we encourage teamwork among everyone of you. So, you all are going to work in pairs.”</p><p>This initiated some excited murmurs among the sixth years, and Lily promptly quietened the growing noise down with a wave of her wand.</p><p>“That’s more like it,” she said, before she conjured a metal goblet out of the air and set it down on the desk. “Now, I have these pieces of parchment with your names written on them. In order to avoid any bias, I am going to pick out one of these at random, and then pick a second one — thus forming a pair. I’ll keep doing this until each one of you is paired. Have I made myself clear?”</p><p>“Yes, Professor.”</p><p>“Good,” nodded Lily, pointing her wand at the goblet and shuffling the bits of parchment, then she stuck her hand in it and pulled out a small piece.</p><p>“Ah,” she said, “Blaise Zabini, and…”</p><p>She picked out another one. “Ernie MacMillan.”</p><p>Harry saw Zabini scowl in the direction of Ernie. He rolled his eyes to himself. It had been years since Lord Voldemort died and the Wizarding War ended, but some things never changed. </p><p>“Neville Longbottom and Susan Bones.”</p><p>Neville sighed. He had still hadn’t forgotten how Snape used to team him up with Draco Malfoy every time they had to do group work. In fact, Neville was delighted when Snape had announced to the class he wouldn’t be taking students who scored below “Outstanding”. The round-faced boy had been convinced he would get nothing above a “Troll”, but he’d ended up with an unexpected “Acceptable” in Potions. He had been over the moon about it. To say Susan Bones was much better than Draco Malfoy would be an understatement.</p><p>“Su Li and Parvati Patil.”</p><p>“Justin Finch-Fletchley and Padma Patil.”</p><p>“Hannah Abbott and Daphne Greengrass.”</p><p>“Draco Malfoy and Anthony Goldstein.”</p><p>The blond rolled his eyes and his lips curled in a sneer as he looked at Anthony Goldstein, whose dark brown hair was combed almost as sleekly as Malfoy’s own. The proud Ravenclaw that he was, Goldstein gave Draco a sideways look and turned his nose up in the air. Malfoy turned towards Zabini and the two Slytherin boys began to mutter darkly about something.</p><p>Lily cleared her throat, picking another piece of parchment from the goblet, unfolding it and reading out aloud from it. “Hermione Granger, and — ”</p><p>And it was in that exact moment as his mother pulled out the parchment that would decide his rival’s — for yes, Hermione Granger was now his arch-rival — fate, that Harry knew something very, very wrong was going to happen. </p><p>“ — Harry Potter.”</p><p>Harry was sure he had groaned out loud. He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, wishing desperately the ground would just open up and swallow him whole. Now he was supposed to work <em> with </em>Granger? He was sure they’d murder each within the first few minutes of their first meeting. What was his mum playing at? He would have a talk with her after class, about whether this was her way of making him pay for being ‘smug’ as she’d said. Hadn’t she done enough of that already?</p><p>Lily Potter continued without a second glance at anything but the goblet and the parchment in her hands, of course.</p><p>Zacharias Smith was paired with Lavender Brown, who would usually have fluttered her eyelashes at him, but now that she was with Ron, and said boy did not take Ancient Runes, she just gave a small nod. Terry Boot was paired with Dean Thomas, and lastly, Pansy Parkinson with Lisa Turpin. </p><p>Professor Potter waved her hand lazily, making the empty goblet disappear in a swirl of colour. </p><p>"So we have our ten pairs," she said, clasping her hands together and smiling a little at the class. "We have only a few minutes left of the class, so I suggest you all pack up your books and quills. On your way out, stop a while and I'm going to give each pair of you your respective topic for the project."</p><p>Harry dawdled until his classmates had all gone out. Save for Granger, who was standing near the front row of desks, hands on the strap of her satchel and a distinct look of annoyance and irritation on her face directed right at him. </p><p>"Mr Potter, are you quite done yet?" His mother asked, looking at her wristwatch.</p><p>"Yeah," Harry mumbled, grabbing his bag and crossing over to the teacher's desk.</p><p>"Your topic," Lily said, "is Anglo-Saxon futhorc. Its origins, forms and application in magic. What you need to do is to research thoroughly on these and prepare a report — or an essay — about three feet long, on what you have learnt."</p><p>Both the sixteen-year-olds nodded. Lily smiled at the two of them. "I hope this project proves to be useful and informative for the both of you. Good luck. Mr Potter, will you please wait for me until I have packed my things?"</p><p>"Yeah," Harry said again. </p><p>"Thanks, Professor," Granger grinned at his mother. Lily smiled back at her. </p><p>A few seconds later it was just the two of them — mother and son.</p><p>"Come on," Lily said. Harry joined his mum as the two walked down the corridor. </p><p>Lily was suppressing a grin. "I assure you, love," she chuckled, noting her son's pointed look, "that I have absolutely no hand in putting you and Hermione together, “that I have absolutely no hand in putting you and Hermione together. Even though I must say, I am glad you two will be working together. Might make you study a little bit harder.”</p><p>Harry groaned. “But Mum —”</p><p>Lily sighed, “I know, darling. It’s just that you’ve made me have high hopes for you all these years, and I’m going to be very disheartened if you start slacking off on your studies, you know. N.E.W.T.s are really tough, and I’m scared for you. Sorry I was so harsh on you last week.”</p><p>Harry felt slightly guilty at her words. He knew she was right.</p><p>“Oh,” Lily said then, “but we’re getting late for lunch. C’mon, let’s hurry up.”</p><hr/><p>“Seems like you’re having the term of your life, Harry.”</p><p>The boy in question shot Ginny Weasley a dark look, while his own sister snickered evilly from beside her.</p><p>“Ah, yes,” Iris said, winking at Harry. “He’s absolutely over the moon about it. He’s wanted to team up with Hermione Granger ever since she joined the school. He’s going to have one hell of a time working with her.”</p><p>“Shut up, the both of you,” snapped Harry. Then he sighed. “I just wanted to beat her this one time, but no —”</p><p>“You’ve already defeated her in Defence, Harry,” Iris supplied.</p><p>“And you think she’s not chalking up strategies to defeat me next time we have a duel? I mean, she only lost because she did not remember to use a spell. I bet she’s going to research all the spells there are in the world and use them next time.”</p><p>Ginny shook her head. “But why are you angry with her, really?”</p><p>“Because he’s being a sore loser?” Iris quipped, grinning. “But jokes aside, you could try and get to know her some, Harry. I think the two of you are going to make a formidable team.”</p><p>Harry rolled his eyes. “Yes, and it’s going to help a lot that everytime I look at her, I can’t help but remember that look on every Professor’s face. The one that screams ‘I expect better of you,’” he said tartly. “She’s best at everything she does.”</p><p>“Harry — ” Iris began to say, “ — oh, look, she’s coming here.”</p><p>Harry looked up from his Charms homework to find Hermione Granger herself, walking right over to where he, Iris and Ginny were seated.</p><p>When she reached, she eyed the three of them curiously. </p><p>“Good morning,” she said briskly, then without waiting for a response, she fixed her attention on Harry.</p><p>“We need to talk, Potter. I promise I won’t take much of your time.”</p><p>“Well, get on with it then, Granger,” replied Harry, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back. He registered briefly that this was the first time he was talking to her in person.</p><p>She raised an eyebrow at him. “I hope you remember that we’ve been teamed for the Runes project, Potter. We’ve got to start our research soon. I was thinking — we could meet up in the library. I have a free period every Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning. Besides, we also have our evenings free.”</p><p>“Well,” Harry said, in an equally curt voice, “seeing as you and I share almost the same classes — much to my dismay, might I add, (he heard Iris’ sharp intake of breath at this) I’m free whenever you are. And I have Prefect duties in the evenings, so I can only attend these ‘meetings’ of ours until eight o’clock.”</p><p>“That’s good to hear,” Granger said. “I’m going to leave you to your business, then. See you at five this Wednesday, in the library?”</p><p>“All right,” Harry said, twirling his quill lazily.</p><p>“I’m looking forward to it,” Granger said sharply. </p><p>“Yeah, so am I,” Harry snapped.</p><p>Granger then turned on her heel, and with her nose in the air like always, walked away towards her usual den — the maroon armchair near the large window overlooking the Black Lake. Harry had noticed she liked to stack up her books and quills on the sill, and even curl up there herself, especially if it was raining outside. </p><p>Ginny and Iris cleared their throat at the same time, effectively capturing his attention back towards them. When he looked at them, Iris was staring pointedly at him, while Ginny looked mildly interested in a piece of yarn that had come loose from her orange checkered jumper. </p><p>"There was no need for you to be so snippy at her," Iris said. "I can't imagine how you're going to work together if you keep snapping at her every five minutes. And here I thought I wouldn't be able to focus if I kept making googly eyes at Jack."</p><p>"I'm wondering the same thing," Harry said tonelessly through gritted teeth. </p><p>"Calm down, Harry," Ginny said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's not done anything to you. Like Iris said, you two are going to be a great team if you just cooperate with each other."</p><p>Harry did not respond to that, because at that moment, Ron arrived, looking very thoroughly snogged. </p><p>"Who's a great team?" he asked, plopping himself down beside Harry. </p><p>"We were talking about our Runes project," Ginny said. </p><p>"Oh, good."</p><p>"Well, let's get you eased up then, Harry," Iris said with what sounded like an attempt to a cheerful voice. "Want to play Gobstones?"</p><p>"I sure do," Ron said, leaning forward.</p><p>"Yeah, let's do that," Harry said eagerly, feeling relieved. Ginny laughed and rolled her eyes. </p><p>"As much as I'd like to join you, I'm afraid I have to go meet Dean. Enjoy yourselves, I'll see you three at dinner."</p><p>With that, Ginny stood up. Tossing her long red hair behind her shoulder, throwing a bright grin at Harry, Ron and Iris, and ignoring Ron's murderous look, she sauntered away towards the portrait hole. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>One of the reviewers on FFN pointed out that Lily was being rather harsh towards Harry. It's kind of true, but I based Lily off my own mother since I find them quite similar. Lily was just worried about her son, because it's not going to do him any good if he gets complacent and starts slacking off on his studies. I hope you guys understand. </p><p>Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. See you next Wednesday. </p><p>Until then, stay safe.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Granger was already standing at the entrance to the library when Harry arrived there after their Herbology class. He wondered vaguely whether she could Apparate within the Hogwarts grounds, but then again, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been busy listening to Ron go on and on about the new Cleansweep model that he really wanted, on their way back from the greenhouses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, Potter,” Granger said in a business-like fashion when he arrived at the library. Her wand was slid through her knot, keeping her wild curls in place. She was clutching the strap of her satchel, which seemed to overflow with rolls of parchment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning, Granger,” Harry replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go in, shall we?” Granger asked, before promptly turning around and without waiting for a response from Harry, marched into the library. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The place was less empty than usual, mainly because most students were working on some project or the other. Madam Pince sat at her desk at the front of the library, square rimmed glasses perched low on her crooked nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger chose a seat in the far corner of the library, half-hidden by the bookshelves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could have sat near the door, why here?” Harry asked, taking note of the heavily scratched wood of the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Runes section is over here,” she said, giving Harry a sideways glance as she turned around to survey the books on the shelves behind them, then dropped to her knees to pull out a few particularly fat ones. Harry saw that indeed, there was a sign on top of the aisle, one that read </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ancient Runes </span>
  </em>
  <span>in bold. He briefly wondered how she knew so much about the school when she’d not even completed one term here, and how </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span>, in spite of having heard about Hogwarts ever since he was a baby, did not know as much as Hermione Granger did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here, hold these,” she said, breaking him out of his reverie and shoving the books into Harry’s arms as she searched the shelves for more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The books were called </span>
  <em>
    <span>A Handbook of Rune Magic</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Guide to the Futhorc</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Advanced Runic Literature </span>
  </em>
  <span>respectively, and had many different symbols on their covers — some of which Harry recognised, the others he didn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do we really need more?” he asked, plopping the tomes down on the slightly rickety table because of the growing numbness they were inducing in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think,” she muttered, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she stood up, “these three should do it. C’mon, let’s sit down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped her satchel on top of the table, before pulling out a chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you waiting for?” she asked. “You might, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>haven’t got my whole day free, you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, there’s no need to take that snarky tone with me, Granger, it’s not like we’ve got to submit this project right this week,” he retorted, sitting down beside her — albeit reluctantly. He’d rather sit across from her, but the tables were quite wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not being snarky,” she said surprisingly calmly, pulling </span>
  <em>
    <span>Guide to the Futhorc</span>
  </em>
  <span> towards her and opening it to the first page. “Oh, well, I am — but I’m being realistic. Professor Potter didn’t give us any deadline, did she?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not yet,” Harry pointed out. Granger rolled her eyes, making her desire to continue this — argument — between them any longer, obvious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” she said, folding her arms across her chest, “where do you want to start?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Origins of the Futhorc?” Harry suggested tentatively, flipping through </span>
  <em>
    <span>Advanced Runic Literature</span>
  </em>
  <span>, whose yellowing pages were threatening to crumble into dust under his fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger shrugged. “Alright," she said, “we need to divide work between us. We already know some of the introductory parts, so we can just take notes right away from these textbooks. Once we’ve reached the more complex topics, we need to start doing more research. Does that make sense to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry eyed her curiously, taken aback by her calmness. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If it were you, you'd have been snapping at her every five seconds</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a tiny voice told him from within the depths of his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, it does," he said, pushing </span>
  <em>
    <span>Advanced Runic Literature </span>
  </em>
  <span>away and opening the third book — </span>
  <em>
    <span>A Handbook of Rune Magic</span>
  </em>
  <span> — to the page that was headed </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Beginning </span>
  </em>
  <span>in a dark, spindly script. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger had already begun scribbling away at her parchment, her head bent over the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry pulled out his own quill, cracked his knuckles (earning a distinctly irritated look from his partner), and then began to take down a few points from the text in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the next twenty odd minutes the only sounds in the library were the incessant scratching of quills against parchment, the rustling of pages and the occasional murmuring. Once or twice Harry heard Madam Pince drop a heavy book or two loudly on her table, making him jump — but that was it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, bugger — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry looked up and to his side. Granger was chewing on her bottom lip, her gaze now fixed on a page of her Rune Dictionary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he asked, looking from her parchment (almost a foot of which was already written in tiny, even letters) to her perturbed face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nudged her shoulder, making her jump in her seat. “What — oh!” she exclaimed, pushing the book towards Harry and pointing at a small symbol that looked like a slightly crooked number three. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe I don’t know what this means. It’s not in the Dictionary, either. Any idea what this means?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry stared at the spindly little rune. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Obviously, if Granger does not know something, fat chance </span>
  </em>
  <span>you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are going to</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he found himself thinking lamely. He almost wanted to voice that thought as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh —  ” he began, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this anywhere before. I’ll just —  erm —  see if I can find one of advanced dictionaries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He left his chair, quickly walking over to the closest rack. Granger turned around in her chair to watch him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing here,” he said a few minutes later as he lifted himself to his feet and brushed the dust of the floor off his knees. Just then, Madam Pince, obviously on one of her rounds, appeared before them. She peered suspiciously over the rim of her glasses at Harry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, Madam Pince, are all the Advanced Rune Dictionaries taken?” he asked, trying to look as innocent as possible, although he could not remember if he had possibly done anything wrong in the last few months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pince turned her attention towards the bookshelf, her hawk-like eyes scanning across the tomes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she asserted, addressing Harry and Hermione, “they’re all taken. I’m afraid you two are going to have to make do without a Rune Dictionary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she spun around and vanished behind the shelves, the heels of her shoes clicking ominously against the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly,” said Granger from behind him, tutting indignantly, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>make do without a Rune Dictionary</span>
  </em>
  <span>! How can anyone expect us to do a Runes project without a dictionary, for Merlin’s sake? Oh, I wish I’d bought that gigantic </span>
  <em>
    <span>Glossary of Runes </span>
  </em>
  <span>I saw at Diagon Alley this summer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry poked his head around the bookshelf, trying to find out if anyone else in the library was using one of the dictionaries, but he did not have much luck. So he returned to his chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What now?” he asked Granger, who looked annoyed — to say the least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at him pointedly. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?” she said, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. “We carry on with our note-taking. We’ll come back to this rune when we have a dictionary with us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Harry was getting really bored of this really fast.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their meeting did not last long. They had not much note-taking to do, and eventually Granger decided they could not really proceed further without understanding what that pesky little rune meant. So it was at six, one hour into their meeting, that Harry excused himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now, after finishing a two-feet long essay on non-verbal defensive spells, a game of chess with his best friend and a half hour of patrol later, Harry finally stumbled tiredly into his dormitory. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>None of the boys were actually asleep. Ron, his back against the pillows, fished out a bean from a large Bertie Bott’s carton which he was sharing with Dean and Seamus. The former two appeared to enjoy themselves as they teased Seamus about the Kestrels’ abysmal fate in their match against the Wigtown Wanderers. Harry considered reminding Ron that the Chudley Cannons hadn’t risen from their position at the bottom of the League ever since they ended up there three years back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neville lay on his stomach on his own four-poster, a pile of books stacked near his feet while he flipped through one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Harry!” the round-faced boy said cheerfully as Harry flung his cloak into his trunk and plopped himself down on his bed. “How’s the project going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dreadfully,” Harry deadpanned, pulling the covers up to his chin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, well,” Neville gave him a sympathetic look. “It’s just the first day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Harry said, shutting his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight then, Harry,” said Neville, as he closed his own book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. G’night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To say Harry was not looking forward to his and Granger’s next meeting would be an understatement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, at least they hadn’t bitten each other’s heads off like he’d expected they would have, Harry thought — so that was a start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>that weird little thing, anyway, though?</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry was notably pleased after his Defence Against the Dark Arts class next morning because he’d managed to non-verbally cast a Stunning Spell on the dummy they had been practising on. He had a free period after that, so he decided to walk up to their dorm to get his Herbology textbook, hoping to get a head start on his revision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The books Neville had been reading the last night lay stacked up on top of his sheets, and it was the largest one that caught Harry's attention. It had </span>
  <em>
    <span>Advanced Runic Translation </span>
  </em>
  <span>engraved on its hard cover in golden ink. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next minute Harry found himself picking up the tome in his hand, and flipping quickly through its pages.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hah!" He exclaimed inwardly when he found the page headed </span>
  <em>
    <span>Anglo-Saxon Runes</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He dragged his finger down the yellowish brown page, his eyes scanning the miniscule, spindly symbols.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, there it was—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The peculiarly shaped rune that looked like a number three.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: Sorry for the delay, guys. The past week was kind of hectic. I was attacked by a new plot bunny which just had to be written down, then one of the best actors in our country passed away. He was very young, and a really talented man, and his death came as a real shock to us all. I couldn’t really concentrate on writing for a day or two. Then it was my birthday on Monday, and my sister got me a dot-grid notebook and I was overcome by a sudden urge to start bullet journaling. The next update might take a bit longer as well because my exams are resuming from the first of July and I have loads of revision to do.</p><p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'd love to hear your views about it. As always, my endless gratitude to you all for reading my fics, and leaving kudos, bookmarks and comments. I appreciate them more than you know. Love you all loads!</p><p>Stay safe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>An early Chapter Six for all you fantastic people (it helps that I am a queen at procrastinating when I am supposed to study :D)! It's a tad shorter than the other chapters, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Neville!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry was out-of-breath when he bounded down the staircase from the dorm to the Common Room. Neville was sitting on one of the plush couches with Dean, Seamus, Iris and Parvati Patil, telling them about some new plant Professor Sprout had introduced him to. He turned around when he heard Harry call for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Neville, would you mind if I borrowed that Rune Dictionary you’ve got upstairs in our dorm? I need it for the Runes project,” Harry asked. “I know you might need it for the project as well, but I’ll take just a few minutes — I swear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other boy frowned, as though trying to remember what book Harry was talking about, then a look of comprehension dawned on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that,” he said. “Of course, go ahead. I’m done with it; I was going to return it to the library anyway — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry grinned and clapped Neville on the shoulder. “Thanks, mate!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No problem,” said Neville cheerfully, before returning to his previous conversation while Harry hurried back to the stairs before running up them, taking two at a time. He threw open the door to the dormitory when he reached. The tome was on the window sill near the headboard of Neville’s bed, where he had left it, and it was with some sort of unrepressed exhilaration that he grabbed the book and headed downstairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, his eyes sought out the couch near the window where one would usually find Granger holed up, but he felt strangely disappointed when he saw that it was vacant. Then he realised that she’d told him she had Arithmancy before lunch. He looked at his watch: her class would get over in about ten minutes. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, well, I’ll tell her when she gets back</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought, but owing to his innate characteristic inability to rein in his excitement, he found himself walking towards the portrait hole and soon he was running down the mostly empty corridor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Arithmancy classroom was on the seventh floor, close to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Harry was panting heavily by the time reached, and to his delight, the class had already begun filing out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few students eyed him curiously, probably wondering what on earth Harry Potter was doing standing near the Arithmancy classroom when he did not even take the subject in the first place, but Harry ignored them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Come on</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought impatiently, tapping his shoe against the stone floor. As he had expected, Granger came out of the class after everyone else, accompanied by Lisa Turpin and Megan Jones, two Ravenclaw girls. Harry knew them by name, but had never really had the occasion to talk to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jones elbowed Granger in the stomach lightly when she saw Harry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s Potter doing here?” she asked in a whisper. Granger squinted suspiciously at Harry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello,” she said politely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um,” Harry looked from Turpin and Jones’ inquisitive faces and back to Granger. “I need to discuss something with you. It’s about the Runes project.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” said Granger, then to her friends: “You two go ahead, I’ll see you after lunch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ravenclaws disappeared around the corner that led towards their Common Room, while Granger turned her attention to Harry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” she asked curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what the rune means,” Harry blurted out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Granger exclaimed. “Then why didn’t you tell me yesterday — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know yesterday,” he cut her off. “Neville — you know Neville, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger rolled her eyes, and the corner of her lips turned slightly upwards. “Of course I do, honestly!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry realised rather belatedly that she’d been in the school for almost three months now, of course she would have gotten to know her housemates by now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Anyway, Neville’s got one of these and I thought I’d borrow it — here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reached into his bag to pull out the dictionary and thrust it before Granger’s eyes, which widened in recognition.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A dictionary!” she gasped excitedly. “Oh, that’s wonderful! I was so worried we’d get behind on the project — </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time, Harry directed a grin at Granger, something he wouldn’t have thought possible. But it was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was nothing,” he said, shrugging. “We should thank </span>
  <em>
    <span>Neville</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really want to get started on the project now,” she said, looking sadly at her wristwatch. “But I haven’t eaten a proper breakfast this morning and if I miss lunch —  ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll get something from the kitchens,” Harry said quickly. “I know food isn’t allowed in the library, so we could sit on the grounds?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger smiled, delight evident on her face. “That would be great, but how are you going to get food from the kitchens? Is that even allowed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Er — I can manage it,” Harry muttered lamely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger raised an eyebrow. “Oh, all right,” she replied, a somewhat sceptical edge to her voice. "I'll just grab some books from the library and meet you near the elm tree outside?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Granger walked the rest of the flight of stairs down to the Great Hall, from where she made her way towards the library, whereas he walked down to the painting of the fruit bowl near the staircase to the Hufflepuff Common Room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry Potter, sir!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tiny house-elf clad in a child’s football gear and a tea cosy for a hat bounded enthusiastically towards Harry. The creature threw himself at Harry, wrapping his thin arms and legs around him in a grip that was surprisingly too vice-like for his size.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Dobby!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dobby has missed Harry Potter,” squeaked the elf. He then scrambled back to his feet and bent so low the tip of his long nose grazed the floor. The other elves went about their business, entirely too familiar with Dobby’s antics when he saw Harry Potter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you?” Harry grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dobby is great, Harry Potter, sir,” replied Dobby. “Dobby is buying two new pairs of socks last summer!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good for you, Dobby,” Harry said. “Listen, do you think I could get some sandwiches or something? I don't think I have time for lunch because my — er — friend and I are doing a project outside — "</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elf stood at attention. "Dobby is on the case, sir. Dobby is going to get food for Harry Potter and his friend!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten minutes later, it was a rather amused Harry Potter that was walking down to the grounds with a tray of cheese sandwiches and Chocolate Frogs in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger's eyes widened when she saw him, but she did not go on to question him. Harry put the tray in front of them before sitting down next to her in the shade of the elm tree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It means 'sun'," she said, pointing at the rune that had been troubling them for the last almost twelve hours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded, reaching out for a Chocolate Frog. Granger eyed the sweet warily as she leaned back against the trunk of the tree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Harry asked her, feeling slightly self-conscious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's a lot of Chocolate Frogs," Granger said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't you like them?" asked Harry, looking at Paracelsus blinking up at him from the Chocolate Frog card. He put it in his pocket; Iris loved collecting them and she had been whining over the past week about not having enough Paracelsus cards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Erm — I haven't exactly ever eaten any — "</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry's eyes widened. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger shrugged. “My parents are Muggles, they’re dentists, you know; they tend to people’s — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“— teeth, yeah, I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do? My friends at Beauxbatons never seemed to understand why people’s teeth needed tending!” Granger exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well,” Harry said. “My mum’s a Muggleborn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Granger asked, looking quite surprised now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it that very hard to believe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, no,” she stated plainly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose you don’t eat chocolate </span>
  <em>
    <span>because </span>
  </em>
  <span>your parents are dentists?” Harry asked, resting his elbows on his knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Granger replied. “It’s not like I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>like </span>
  </em>
  <span>chocolate, but my parents don’t approve of it. I haven’t had any since I was a baby, I've become sort of accustomed to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a shame!” Harry remarked, then offering her an unopened Frog, he continued, “Here. Try this. I’m sure you’ll like the cards that come along with these — they have some pretty interesting facts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger bit her lip, as though weighing the consequences. “Oh, well,” she said, after a while, “guess it won’t hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry grinned. “You won’t regret it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not bad,” Granger said, biting off the Frog’s head. “Not bad at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See?” Harry said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for this,” she said, smiling. “But I think we’d better go back to the project now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right!”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Where were you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry almost ran into Iris as he walked past the tapestry on his shortcut to the Common Room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oof — Iris!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His sister was smirking knowingly, standing at the bottom step. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were wondering why you didn’t show up at lunch,” she said. “Mum was looking for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was working on the Runes project with Hermione Granger,” he replied, continuing on his way with Iris by his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hermione Granger?” Iris repeated. “I’m surprised you came back in one piece. Ginny and I were absolutely sure you’d hex the living daylights out of each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry rolled his eyes. “She’s OK, sort of,” he admitted finally. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Told you, didn’t I?” Iris said smugly. “You were being sour towards her for no reason at all!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not for no reason,” Harry corrected. “She just appears out of nowhere and starts being the best at everything there is, and do you expect me to just sit there like I’d always known it’d happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s going to do you good. I don’t think it’s healthy if you don’t have competition. Hermione Granger’s going to put you in your place every time you get complacent!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry groaned. “You are sounding like Mum, Iris,” he pointed bitterly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you admit I’m right?” she said, grinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, shut up! Why was Mum asking after me, by the way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad and Sirius were here during lunch. They brought us some of that mixed fruit ice-cream from Florean's — the special never-melting variety. You missed it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They should have let us know beforehand,” Harry said bitterly. His father and his godfather were both Senior Aurors at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and one or both of them often paid Harry, Iris and Lily visits through the fireplace in Lily’s office every time they had a longer break.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, well, Mum told them the same thing. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>think </span>
  </em>
  <span>she might have saved some for you. Anyway, how's the project going?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Pretty good," Harry replied. "We made considerable progress and we also managed to come back alive, like you said."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'd wager it was better than that," his sister chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Anything's better than Granger and me biting the heads off each other, wouldn't you say?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, well, I am glad you and Hermione are getting along. You are going to make a wonderful team!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two had reached the entrance to the Common Room at this point. The Fat Lady was dozing quietly with her head against the frame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Cattywampus</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Iris uttered, and she and Harry scrambled into the dimly lit Common Room.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So Harry and Hermione are finally getting along with each other! Also, I know Megan Jones was mentioned in this chapter. According to the fandom wiki, she's a Hufflepuff, but I have always imagined her to be a Claw for some reason. So there's that. </p><p>Once again, thank you guys so much! Stay safe :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi. Here's Chapter Seven. I had fun writing it, I hope ya'll enjoy it as well.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Around two weeks later...</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Demelza Robins was not having the time of her life. Her calves were sore from walking up and down the staircases. She had hoped to spend some quality time sampling one of the chocolate muffins her parents had sent her for her birthday last week, or even getting a headstart on her Runes project, or playing Gobstones with her best friends; but instead, here she was, hobbling around the entire school looking for one Harry Potter. Why, you ask? Because apparently her fellow Chaser could not wait another hour or two to “discuss new Quidditch strategies” with their captain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Curse you, Ginny Weasley,” she muttered under her breath as she quickly grabbed the banister to stop herself from falling into the trick step. She had yet to visit the Charms and Transfiguration classrooms, and she vowed to return right back to the Common Room if she couldn’t find Harry. Frankly, Ginny could go on a bloody tour of the whole school herself if she was so desperate to make plans when the match was a month away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had only just decided to be lazy and neglect to investigate a closed door when a loud whoop from behind it stopped her in her tracks. She spun on her heel and threw the door open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The object of her search was sitting cross-legged on the stone floor of the classroom with that new girl with the bushy hair — what was her name again? Three or four fat textbooks lay spread open around them, and long rolls of parchment were scattered all over. The bushy-haired girl looked like she had been explaining something to him, and he had been listening intently, when they both looked up at Demelza.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, don’t you see this, Granger, if we can — oh, hi, Mel!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Er, hello,” Demelza said awkwardly. “Ginny sent me to look for Harry. She said she wanted to discuss strategies for our first Quidditch match.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry considered her, pursing his lips in thought. “I — uh — is it very urgent?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Demelza shrugged. “Dunno, really. But Ginny’s going spare. Then again, you know how Ginny can be when it comes to Quidditch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Harry grinned. “Well, you tell Ginny we can talk tomorrow. Sorry, Mel, but I’ve really got to work on this project. Mum’s going to have my head if she sees me discussing Quidditch instead of studying. N.E.W.Ts stuff, you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, OK,” said the fifth year. “I’ll see you in the Common Room later, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she turned around and left the room, closing the door behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got to make a list of the applications of these runes in day-to-day magical spells, because if we — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry was only half listening to her; his mind was out on the Quidditch pitch, above which he could zoom freely through the air, the wind in his face — whipping through his messy hair and making his red cloak flying behind him. He heaved an inward sigh; it had been months since he had been in the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He started when he felt a finger poke him sharply in the upper arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he asked, before realising it was a rather stupid question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger rolled her eyes. “Did you even listen to what I just said, about enlisting the applications of the Futhorc in everyday magic?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry gave her a sheepish grin. “Erm, no — sorry about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An amused expression took over Granger’s countenance. She looked at her wristwatch. “It’s almost time for lunch,” she said. “I think we’ve had enough for the time being. Let’s go back to the Common Room. We’re almost done anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no,” Harry went to say hurriedly. “It’s OK. I swear I won’t zone off anymore. We can continue — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger laughed and put a hand on his shoulder to shut him up. “It’s all right. If we hurry up, you could even squeeze in some time to have that talk with Ginny Weasley before lunch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Er - thanks,” Harry grinned, gathering his books and parchment. “Are you free this evening? We could continue this if you are — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. I had planned on completing Professor Snape’s essay by seven tonight, but I’ll let you know if I finish it early. You’ll be in the Common Room?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded as they both stood up. “Sounds good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two walked down the corridor to the Gryffindor Common Room, talking idly about their plans for the next meeting and debating the pros and cons of the Befuddlement Draught, which was a part of their Potions homework. </span>
</p><hr/><p>The next time the sixth years met for Ancient Runes, which was on the following Tuesday, Professor Lily Potter announced to them that their Runes project was to be submitted on the twenty fifth of that month — which was the next Tuesday when they had double Runes. Harry found that Granger looked quite pleased. He was pleased, too. Their project was going incredibly well and they had only a few more things left to do.</p><p>
  <span>Harry met up with his partner during lunch on the twenty fifth. They decided once again to get some food from the kitchen and sit outside on the grounds, and take a last look at their large red file. Granger had done some impressive spellwork the day before to make different runes pop up on the cover at a time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found her sitting underneath the birch tree, looking curiously at him as he strode towards her with a tray of sandwiches ( they were ‘absolutely delicious’, according to Granger) and a jug of pumpkin juice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder,” she said, squinting up at him when he reached their spot. “How </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>you manage to get all that food?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry put the tray down on the grass and sat down cross-legged beside Granger. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Er — I’m friends with one of the elves down in the kitchen — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Elves</span>
  </em>
  <span>? You have </span>
  <em>
    <span>house elves </span>
  </em>
  <span>in your kitchen?” Granger asked angrily in a high-pitched voice that made Harry wince. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not in </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>kitchen, honestly!” he replied, slightly affronted. “In the — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hogwarts kitchens, that’s what I meant. I can’t believe this! I read </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hogwarts: A History </span>
  </em>
  <span>from cover to cover last summer, and there wasn’t a single word about house elves!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s a bit biased — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And here I was, thinking,” Granger said exasperatedly, “that Professor Dumbledore was a good man who wouldn’t — ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He pays them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“  — enslave house elves to cook for — </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger stared at him, looking puzzled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Professor Dumbledore pays the house elves. A Galleon a week and one day off a month, Dobby said. He’d offered them more, but you know how those house elves are. He even told them they could wear clothes if they wanted, but the elves thought that was too much. Not Dobby, though. He adores wearing clothes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good, then. Is Dobby your friend?” Granger asked, her indignation fading.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. He’s nice. Always ready to help if you need him,” Harry replied. “He’s particularly fond of socks. Mismatched socks, mind you. Last Christmas, I gave him a pair that was supposed to sing when it got too smelly and he was right confused when he saw that the two were identical. Kept saying that the shopkeeper must have made a mistake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger giggled. “He sounds adorable”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry rolled his eyes. “Well, I can introduce you to him if you’d like. But we have more pressing matters now, don’t we?” He pointed at their file.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger let out a tiny gasp. “Oh no, I’m sorry,” she exclaimed. “We shouldn’t have been talking so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An hour later, the two of them were half-running up the stairs to the Runes classroom. Granger’s wild hair was flying madly behind her and Harry was having quite the hard time listening to her talk nineteen to the dozen about the project they were about to submit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, look — we’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But who’s that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tall, good-looking wizard in smart, navy blue Ministry robes stood in a corner talking to his mother. His long, dark hair was combed in a manner that reminded Harry of Lucius Malfoy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When everyone was inside and seated, Professor Potter turned her attention to the class and smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good afternoon, class,” she said, bright green eyes roving across the seats. “I hope you’ve all brought your projects today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Professor,” the class chanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Brilliant!” she remarked. “But before we do anything else, we have a guest with us today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gestured at the handsome wizard, who grinned at the sixth years. Harry saw Granger roll her eyes when some of the girls swooned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Mister Andrew Windsor,” Lily went on to say. “He’s an Unspeakable at the Ministry. Believe me when I tell you that he is an absolute expert at Ancient Runes, and we’re glad that he’s been able to join us today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Professor Potter is an old friend of mine. We were classmates, and then colleagues at the Department of Mysteries, until she left the Ministry to start teaching,” said Mr Windsor in a suave, polished tone. “She is a very talented witch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your mum worked in the Department of Mysteries?” Harry heard Granger whisper to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave a sideways glance. “Yeah,” he replied in a similar whisper. “She quit the job when my sister turned three.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr Windsor will be interacting with us today,” Lily was saying. “He’s going to see the work you’ve done on your projects. One student from each pair can come up here and give him a little synopsis of your work. He’ll also be scoring your projects, so I hope you have all done your best.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This elicited worried and excited murmurs from the students. Granger gasped softly and Harry jumped in his seat when she grabbed his wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Scores</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” she said in a nervous tone. “Oh, I know we must have botched something up. Oh no, oh no. She should have said something earlier. Oh no.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She continued to mutter frantic ‘oh no’s under her breath, her grip on Harry’s wrist increasing. Harry felt torn between wanting to tell her that everything would be all right and being offended at her insinuation that he might not have done his part properly — because the project was his too, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr Malfoy and Mr Goldstein.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry saw Anthony glare at Draco once before snatching up their project from the desk and tucking it under his arm, before marching smartly up to the professor’s table. If Malfoy had let the opportunity to show off in front of a Ministry official go, then Mr Windsor surely knew what he was doing — Harry thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anthony handed the file to Mr Windsor, who gestured to him to start speaking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry immediately zoned Anthony’s voice and instead chose to flip through his own file. He looked at Granger — she had let go of his wrist now and was wringing her hands together in her lap, and muttering something with her eyes closed. Her eyes flew open a few minutes later and she fixed Harry with a determined look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do the speaking,” she said straightforwardly, as though that was what they had been discussing all this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, all right,” Harry shrugged, suppressing the urge to shake his head when Granger resumed her muttering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Miss Li and Miss Patil.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Su walked up to the front of the class with a serious expression on her face and began to speak about her project. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like this bit you added about the Viking runes,” Windsor remarked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Mr Windsor!” Su and Parvati grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next,” squeaked Mr Windsor. “Miss Granger and Mr Potter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger gasped once again, and with apprehension in her eyes she looked at Harry, who nodded encouragingly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck,” he said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger picked up the file and strode towards the teacher’s table. Windsor smiled politely at her and nodded appreciatively at the cover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lily, who was standing against a wall with her arms crossed in front of her, smiled at Granger. She took a deep breath as Harry crossed his fingers under the desk and his teeth bit into his bottom lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger began speaking in an even tone, the disquiet fading gradually from her face. She had begun pacing before the blackboard, moving her hands as she explained the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. Harry found both his mother and Mr Windsor gazing at her admiringly. Lily had pride etched on her face. He himself rather thought she was speaking better than the others had. He felt a perverse sort of satisfaction when he saw Malfoy scowl out of the corner of his eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... so that is all about our project. Thank you for listening,” she ended her speech, then looked anxiously at Mr Windsor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She flushed with pride when Mr Windsor threw a disarming smile. “Well done, the both of you!” he exclaimed. “Such detail and precision is quite impressive. I couldn’t have compiled a better project myself. Good job!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry felt as though the tips of his ears were on fire and he was glad Granger hadn’t asked </span>
  <em>
    <span>him </span>
  </em>
  <span>to go up there and speak. He’d have done a good job of embarrassing both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger was visibly having a hard time suppressing her smile when she came back to her seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did great,” Harry whispered to her. She beamed at him. “Thanks, but we </span>
  <em>
    <span>both </span>
  </em>
  <span>did great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry could not help grin at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A half hour later, when everybody’s projects had been seen by Mr Windsor, he talked a bit with the students about the significance of N.E.W.T.s and the like. Then he shook hands with Lily, waved at the students and left the class. But that was only after he had flicked his wand at the blackboard and everyone’s scores had appeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Granger’s fingers were back around his wrist. “I don’t want to look. You can tell me our score later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Granger,” he said, smiling, “you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>you did great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He then looked at the board. There, in scruffy, white letters the names of the students were written alongside their scores.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened when he saw the bold ‘O’ beside their names. He was just turning around to look at Granger, but her hold on his wrist tightened and he saw delight etched across her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We did it!” Granger squealed when the class was over and they were walking down the corridor together. Harry had never seen her look so happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he grinned. “We’re a good team.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger raised an eyebrow at him, smirking. “Oh, are we, now? I thought you couldn’t stand the sight of me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still can’t,” Harry pointed, but he looked amused. “But I suppose you’re tolerable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, so are you,” she nudged him with her elbow, grinning evilly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See? We </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>a good team.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading, and for all your kudos and comments on the earlier chapters.<br/>Stay safe.<br/>~ Miranda</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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